Foot treating device



Jan. 23, 1940. B. TRIPLETT FOOT TREATING DEVICE- Filed Aug. 10, 1938 INVENTOR. B. TR/PLETT ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in a device for flexing, exercising and massaging the human foot, for the purpose of adjusting the joints and bones thereof into proper and normal "'5' relative positions, relaxing the muscles and consequently resting the foot, and re-establishing -circulation of blood so as to overcome the effects of stasis.

It is an object of the present invention'to provide a device which may be rested upon a suitable support, such as a floor, and into engagement with which the foot may be brought, this device being adapted to be actuated by a substantially lateral movement of the foot, that is to say, in

'16 a direction substantially horizontal or which crosses a vertical line or plane.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a foot treating device of the character de scribed, having an arch engaging member to '20 bear against the bottom of the foot, and a bridge member adapted to extend over the'upper portion of the foot, these members being supported so as to be moved in lateral direction by a foot which is placed in engagement with same and 25 being so arranged that flexing action is applied to the foot structure in response to the movement of the arch and bridge members by the foot in engagement therewith.

It is a further object of the invention to pro- 30 vide a foot-treating device of the above character, having a foot engaging member mounted eccentrically pivoted levers which permit a swinging thereof on arcs so positioned that said swinging movement will cause pressural engage- *3; ment of the foot engaging members with the foot in a manner to perform a desired treatment of the foot.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a base, carrying spaced pivots, a pair of lever members extending upward from said pivots in crossing relation, with foot-engaging members supported on the upper portions of the levers, these foot-engaging members being so arranged that as the levers are swung, one of the 45 members will press against one portion of the foot and the other of the members will press against another portion, of the foot.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the above character wherein the 50 foot-engaging parts are relatively adjustable to enable the bringing of different parts of the foot into engagement with one of the members while the other of the members is in engagement with a selected other part of the foot.

55 Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawing which is for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a simple and 5 preferred form of my invention. I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation drawn to reduced scale and showing the manner in which the foot is caused to engage the cooperating parts of the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevational view showing another relation of the lever members and supporting pivots therefor, by which the stated accomplishments of the invention may be at tained.

The preferred form of the device has a pair of foot-engaging members, 5 and 6, which are moved relative to selected portions of the foot being treated in such manner that the foot will be flexed, adjusted, exercised and massaged. The member 5 comprises a knob or body, preferably made of resilient material, such as sponge rubber or the like, and intended to be brought into engagement with the under portion of the arch of the foot, as shown in Fig. 2, although by sliding the foot forward from the position in which it is shown, the arch engaging member 5 may be brought into engagement with the bottom of the heel, or, by moving the foot rearward, the ball of the foot may be brought into engagement with member 5. The member 6 is intended to be brought into engagement with an upper portion of the foot in a position oifset from the point of engagement with the arch engaging member 5. This member 6 may be best 5 referred to as a bridge member, for the reason that it includes an arcuate metal wall 8, lined with a suitable resilient material or padding 9, such as felt, which may be secured to the wall 8 by means of rivets l0.

The arch-engaging member 5 is secured to the upper end of a lever ll, comprising a bar or rod having a lower end portion l2 bent at right angles so as to engage pivot means l3, consisting of a metal tube or channel formed along the 5 front edge of a stamped plate [4, which is secured by rivets IE to a base plate It, which may have a layer of anti-skid material H, such as rubber, secured to the lower face thereof.

The bridge member 5 is supported in a position forward of the arch engaging member 5 by a lever I8, which extends rearwardly in crossing relation to the lever H, to a pivot means l9 disposed on the plate IS, in spaced relation to the pivot means l3 and to the rear thereof.

This 55.

lever i8 is made from a bar 20, at 2| and 22 so as to provide a pair of lever arms I80. and 18b and a base or pivot portion 23, which passes under the pivot means IS. The pivot means I9 consists of a pair of inverted channel portions formed along the rear edge of the plate Id. The pivot portion 23 of the lever It may be provided with a stop for limiting rightward or clockwise rotation of the member l8, such stop consisting of a U-shaped bend 24 in the center of the pivot portion 23. The portions We and Hit bend forwardly at 25 so as to cross the transverse plane defined by the member II, and the end portions 26 thereof are bent so as to slope downward and forward, these end portions being received in loops 21 formed at the edges of the arcuate metal wall 8. A slidable metal plate 28 is provided with rolled tubes 29 at the ends thereof to engage the upper portions 30 of the lever arm members lSa and H31) between the bends 25 and the bridge member 6, there being a central opening 32 in the slidable plate 28 through which the upper portion of the lever member H projects. Within the limits of the movement of the slidable plate 28 on the rod portions 30, the arch engaging member 5 may be adjusted toward or away from the bridge 6. A tension spring 33 has its forward end connected to an opening 34 in one of the lever arms 5% and has its rear end connected at 35 to the base Hi, this spring yieldably rotating the lever 58 in clockwise direction to an upright position wherein the stop 24 engages the base 16.

In the use of the device, it is normally rested upon the floor and the foot to be treated is placed as shown in Fig. 2, and the front part of the foot, such as the toes, or the toes and the metatarsal joints, are passed under the bridge 6. The arch of the foot is brought into engagement with the arch engaging member 5 at a position where upward pressure is desired, the foot is then shifted forward, or in the direction of the arrow 35 of Fig. 2, to swing the bridge 6 toward the position indicated by the dotted lines to and to swing the arch engaging member to the position indicated by the dotted lines indicated by the lines So. Owing to the fact that the member 5 swings on an are indicated by dotted lines 36 generated around the pivot means l3, and the bride 6 moves along on arc 3?, generated around the pivot means Hi, the bridge 6 will move downward relative to the arch engaging member 5, or conversely the arch engaging member 5 may be considered as having an upward movement relative to the bridge 6, with the result that the arch engaging member 5 presses upward against the bottom of the foot and the bridge presses downwardly against the upper forward part of the foot, thereby convexly flexing the arch of the foot. In proceeding with this treatment, the foot may be shifted from one side to the other and may be moved forwardly and rearwardly relative to the foot engaging parts 5 and 6, so

that the scope of the treatment may be distributed over a relatively large area, thereby accomplishing complete manipulation massaging efiect and exercising of the foot structure.

In Fig. 3, I show a base 16a having a front pivot 13a and a rear pivot [9a. In this form of the invention, the arch engaging member 5a is mounted on the upper end of a lever Ila, which slopes rearward instead of being placed substantially vertically like the similar part II shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The bridge 6a is mounted at the upper end of a lever l8 which is pivotally secured to the plate 16a by the pivot [9a. In this alternative device, the arch engaging member 5a swings upward, as indicated by an arrow whereas, the bridge 6a swings downward as indicated by an arrow 4|. Accordingly, when these parts are swung in engagement with a foot to be treated, the member So will press upward against the arch of the foot and the bridge So will press downward on the frontal portion of the foot, thereby producing the desired fiexion of the foot structure. It will be perceived that in this alternative form of the invention I have shown how the levers Ho and i8 may be placed in crossing relation so as to produce relative upward and downward swinging movement of of the foot engaging members in response to a movement having a general horizontal direction.

I claim as my invention:

described, the combination of: a bridge member to pass over an upper portion of the foot; an arch engaging member placed so as to bear against the bottom of the foot; a pair of levers, one each of which supports one of said members; and pivot means for said levers arranged eccentrically so as said levers are swung, said members will have a relative movement respectively downward and upward with regard to the foot being treated.

2. In a foot treating device of the character described, the combination of: a base; a first pivot carried by said base; a lever extending upward from said pivot; an arch engaging mem- 7 her carried by said lever to engage the bottom of a foot to be treated; a second pivot carried by said base in a position offset from said first pivot; a second lever extending upward from said second pivot and crossing said first lever;

and a. top engaging member carried by said sec- 0nd lever, said top engaging member having a portion adapted to engage the top of the foot which is engaged by said arch engaging member, the swinging of said levers on said pivots causing said arch engaging member and said top engaging member to have relative upward and downward movement whereby said arch engaging member will be caused to bear upward against the bottom of the foot and the top engaging member will be caused to press downward against the top of the foot.

LOUIS B. 'I'RIPIJJTT.

30 1. In a foot treating device of the character" 

